Geologists at the University of Utah have conducted detailed investigations into Timpanogos Rock Glacier, one of the largest rock glaciers in the state, located beneath Mount Timpanogos near Salt Lake City and Provo. The research employed innovative techniques to image the ice concealed beneath the glacier’s surface, discovering that the formation contains roughly 1.5 million cubic meters of frozen water—equivalent to approximately 600 Olympic swimming pools or the volume of Egypt’s largest pyramid.
The research team, led by former graduate student Bronson Cvijanovich under the supervision of geophysics professor Michael Thorne and glaciology professor Leif Anderson, conducted fieldwork during fall 2024. Researchers carried sensitive gravitational measurement equipment to the glacier site above Emerald Lake, collecting data at 232 locations arranged in a grid pattern, each separated by about 25 meters. A gravimeter was used to detect density differences between rock and ice, allowing scientists to estimate the shape and thickness of the hidden glacier. The analysis revealed that Timpanogos Rock Glacier is approximately 83 percent ice and 17 percent loose rock.
The team developed a novel three-dimensional imaging method using Bayesian statistics to reconstruct the glacier’s internal structure, accounting for factors such as gravitational variations caused by celestial bodies and terrain differences. The findings indicate that Utah’s rock glaciers formed not as remnants from the Ice Age but rather developed over thousands of years after major glaciers retreated. These formations developed in steep mountain valleys where falling debris repeatedly covers and preserves snow.
Using measurements from Timpanogos Rock Glacier, researchers established a relationship between surface area and subsurface ice volume that was then applied more broadly. Calculations suggest that approximately 50,000 rock glaciers in Utah may collectively contain about 1 gigaton of water, equivalent to roughly 815,000 acre-feet. Globally, the roughly 50,000 known rock glaciers could contain approximately 48 gigatons of water according to the researchers’ estimates.
One study was published Aug. 26 in the Journal of Geophysical Research, while an earlier related paper appeared in Geophysical Research Letters on April 2, 2026. The research received support from multiple institutions including the U.S. Geological Survey, National Science Foundation, and University of Utah centers and programs.
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